ABSTRACT
Computer-aided control is becoming popular in the food industry because of multiple benefits offered by computers, including remote access, extended functionality, and the ability to collect and organize information flow and databases. Computer-aided control in drying is particularly important because of nonuniformity, nonstationarity, and sometimes significant uncertainty of a drying process. Sensors are mechanical or electronic devices, modules, or subsystems with the purpose to measure changes in environment and send information to a programmable logic controller (PLC) or computer. Computer vision and biomimetic sensors give information about customer-perceived quality attributes, while spectroscopy mostly reflects nutritional and nutraceutical value of product. Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy in range of 780–2500 nm is used to identify molecules containing CH, OH, and NH chemical bonds. It could be concluded that biomimetic, spectroscopic, and electrostatic sensors are promising soft sensors for real-time control and automation, however, their commercial applications require more research and development efforts.
